Welcome to: Konoha Boarding School
by This Username Is Classified
Summary: Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Tenten are attending a boarding school for the first time. On the first day, they find out that they'll be rooming with boys! Watch as tolerance turns into acceptance and lastly... Love. / AU College! Pairings: SasuSaku, ShikaIno, NaruHina, NejiTen.


**Hello! If you're reading this story, then my summary must've been of some use, haha.**

 **As the summary says, there WILL be ShikaIno, NaruHina and NejiTen. So if you're looking for err purely SasuSaku stories, then I'm sorry, you're probably looking at the wrong story!**

 **Warning: The characters seem OOC. The paragraph above also serves as a sort of warning, I guess?**

 **NOTE:** **I do not live in a country whereby the terms "high school", "college" or even "sophomores" are used, but since the majority of people! live with these education systems, I decided to try it out. Sorry for any mistakes!**

"Guys, I'm _so_ excited!" Ino exclaimed enthusiastically. "It's my first time attending a boarding school!"

"Agreed, Ino-pig," Sakura smiled. "I'm glad we're all attending this school together. To be honest, I'm sure I'd freeze up by the main gates if none of you were with me."

"Me too!" Hinata laughed.

" _I_ can't wait to see the dorms," Tenten grinned.

Over the past few years, the four of them had grown close enough to be sisters. They had met in their adolescent years and were now all freshman in college. The school they had enrolled into was called the _Konoha Boarding School._ Only those who had grades above average were allowed to enter. Apparently, the school did _not_ want people with no aim in life taking up precious spots in the school, as the rumors said.

"Well, here we are, girls. Remember to work hard and play hard concurrently, you hear? Enjoy your studying years while you can. Working sure is tough…" Inoichi muttered the last part to himself. "But STRICTLY _NO_ BOYFRIENDS, YOU GOT THAT MY SWEETHEART? That goes for you girls as well, I suppose. Well, off you go! Don't forget to call."

" _Okay_ , daddy!" Ino whined. "No boyfriends. Call sometime. Got it." She whispered a discreet " _not_ " while snickering to her girls after "No boyfriends".

"Thank you, Yamanaka-san!" Sakura, Tenten and Hinata chorused in sync.

All four girls stepped out of the car, grabbed their luggages from the boot, and dragged them behind as they walked into the school's gates. They stared up at the majestic building in front of them in awe. It didn't look as grand as the elite schools', but they didn't expect something close enough. The girls looked at one another and shared a look that said, " _We_ are _at the right school… Aren't we?"_

Shrugging it off, Sakura took the lead and sashayed forward to the general office where they would pick up their time tables. Her long, pink waist-length hair swayed against her back as she walked. The rest followed, not far behind.

Hinata had pin-straight midnight blue hair that reached the end of her back. Ino's was up in her usual ponytail and Tenten's, in her two buns.

"Good morning, Ma'am," Sakura greeted the lady at the front desk with a smile. "We're freshman, going by the names Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Hinata and Tenten. May we have our schedules?"

The lady nodded. "Certainly. Give me a moment." She riffled through a large folder, before pulling out four sheets of paper and handing them all to Sakura. "Here you go," She smiled. "The rooming arrangements are up on the bulletin board if you take a left turn twice once you step out of here. I hope you enjoy your time in this school."

Ino grinned. "Oh, we _will_! Thanks, bye-bye!" She dashed out of the room.

Tenten closed her eyes and shook her head. "She didn't even bother to take her own schedule. Typical Ino…"

"I _know_ ," Sakura groaned. Hinata giggled quietly.

After giving their own thanks, they followed the lady's instructions and found a large group of people surrounding the aforementioned board, but with Ino nowhere to be seen.

"...Now, knowing Ino, where would she be?" Sakura deadpanned.

"…In…The middle of the crowd…" Hinata sighed. "Or in this case, _in front_ of the crowd."

"It is _really_ kinda disturbing that we know that," Tenten twitched. "Well, shall we?" Without waiting for a reply, since she knew it would be unanimous, she pushed her way through the crowd. "Sorry, coming through! Oww, watch it, you! Ah, sorry!" It was difficult. Sakura was having the same amount of trouble but would get through it just fine. On the other hand, Hinata seemed to be getting swallowed up by the mass of students.

"Ahh!" Hinata cried. "W-woah!" She couldn't stop herself from falling backwards as the person in front elbowed her. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the painful impact to come.

It never came. Instead, she felt a strong pair of arms encircle her, pulling her back into an upright position. She slowly opened her eyes to meet a pair of cerulean ones. Gasping in shock, she jumped back, hands clutching her chest.

"H-hey! You all right there…?" The blonde guy with his enchanting cerulean blue gaze asked. "You were about to hit the floor, so… Yeah. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you?!"

Another boy came up behind him, smacked his head and rolled his eyes, hands stuffed inside his pockets. "Dobe, you aren't exactly doing anything to alleviate the situation, if you haven't already noticed – which I'm sure you haven't."

" _Teme!_ " The blonde yelled. "What made you think I needed any input from _you_?!"

The other boy raised an eyebrow. "You never cease to amaze me, really."

"U-umm…" Hinata interrupted. "I'm f-fine, thanks to y-you… For s-saving me." Her friends had indeed taught her to be much braver but in the presence of strangers, her old habit of stuttering would come back.

Turning away from his fight, the blonde threw a grin her way. "No problem, glad to help! What's your name, anyways? Mine is Uzumaki Naruto, remember it!" He paused. "Oh, and this thing here beside me is called Uchiha Sasuke. His hair looks like a chicken's butt, doesn't it?" He added as an afterthought.

Sasuke looked irritated. "I didn't ask for you to introduce me, idiot. I am not a _thing_ , and my hair does _not._ "

Hinata blushed at Naruto's radiant grin. "A-ah, my name is H-hyuga Hi-" She was cut off as Sakura burst out from the crowd. Hinata had been pushed right back to where she started while the others had advanced.

"Hinata, are you okay?!" Sakura patted Hinata's cheeks and looked her over. "I was so _worried_ when I turned around and you weren't behind me! I think Tenten has found Ino… Probably."

"I'm fine, Sakura-chan," Hinata smiled slightly. "I was pushed back and about to fall when Uzumaki-san over here," She gestured to the blonde, "saved me before I could hit the ground.

Said blonde looked slightly confused by her lack of stuttering but brushed it off and grinned widely, his eyes forming crescents. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Nice to meet ya!"

Sakura blinked at him and Sasuke, as if just noticing they were there. "…Oh! Thank you very much!" She returned his grin with a smile of her own. She glanced over at the dark-haired boy. His aristocratic features appealed to her greatly but she squashed down any feelings of admiration she felt. "My name's Haruno Sakura. Hinata-chan and I, along with two other friends of ours are freshman here. One of those friends had managed to get right in front of the board to see our rooming arrangements but the three of us kind of got separated on the way to her, as you can see."

"Cool! Me and Sasuke are freshman too!" Naruto awed. "Maybe we'll be in the same class, eh?!"

Sasuke sighed quietly. "We were about to take a look at rooming arrangements, too. Let's go."

Sakura looked slightly uneasy at his abrupt order. "…Yes, let's."

Slowly, they managed to make their way to the front where they saw Tenten and Ino still staring up at the board.

"Hey guys, had some troubles getting here. How's the arrangement?"

"Yeah, about that… It seems the school isn't really opposed to co-ed sleeping arrangements. I'm rooming with a guy called Nara Shikamaru."

"I'm with someone called Hyuga Neji… Hey, Hinata, both of you have the same surname! Do you know him?" Tenten questioned.

"He's my… cousin. I didn't know he'd be attending this school as well…" Hinata furrowed her brows. "He's very smart. No offense!"

"Nah. Well, I guess I'll see later…" Tenten shrugged.

Sakura pulled Hinata right up to the board. "I'm with an Uchiha Sasuke," She paused and turned the face the dark blue haired boy. "Is that you, by any chance…?"

Sasuke glared and nodded.

Sakura twitched. "Oh… What luck to have already met my roommate! Ha… Ha… Ha…!"

"You sound dumb. Stop that."

Sakura glared fiercely at him. " _What!_ And just who are _you_ to tell me that, huh?!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Girls."

"What's your problem?!"

"Oho! Sasuke-kun, was it? Nice to meet you, I'm Ino!" Said girl fluttered her eyelashes.

Sasuke ignored her and looked away.

"Sakura, doesn't he just look so dreamy?" Ino sighed to her friend, clasping her hands together and going starry-eyed. "He's the hottest guy I've ever met!"

" _WHAT?_ Ino, are you kidding me? Did you _not_ see the way he treated me just now?" Sakura asked her friend incredulously. "His attitude is _horrible_! I can't _imagine_ what'd it'd be like to live with him… Gosh…" Though she couldn't help but think, _'He doesn't look too shabby… What a shame.'_

"What, you think _I'll_ enjoy staying with you?" Sasuke scoffed. "Dream on."

"That's only because of _you_! We could have gotten along just fine, I'm sure, if you could just be a little bit more _nice_. And reasonable. And less _stuck up_. Hmph," Sakura crossed her arms childishly.

"Stop it, you two! You've only just met and you're fighting _already_?!" Tenten tried to stop them. "Is it both of your wishes to bicker like an old married couple?"

"Oh, _fun_ ," Ino grinned. "I hope my roommate is hot, too. Woo!"

"Tenten, that'd be like having a death wish, and I'm too young to die. Ino, you _really_ aren't helping much," Sakura glared at Ino.

"…Even their _glares_ are the same!" Naruto observed in wonder. Sakura turned her glare to him and cracked her knuckles. "….Scary," Naruto mumbled.

"Typical annoying girls," Sasuke scoffed again. "No brains. All they do is look for guys."

"No brains?! _No brains?!_ I'll show _you_ no brains! Just you watch!" Sakura was fuming now.

"Forget what I said about not fighting. You think all girls are the same? Well, you better learn to watch your words, mister," Tenten warned. "You're pretty narrow-minded, aren't you?

"Erm, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme is _really, really_ smart. Even though it pains me to admit it... You _might_ have a hard time…" Naruto warned.

"HAHAHAHA," Ino boomed. "Naruto, Sakura was the best in our grade back in our previous school. Every. Single. Year. I think she'll manage," She smirked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? We'll see about that, then."

"You're on, Uchiha!" Sakura's temper flared.

Trying to ignore the small commotion going on behind her, Hinata searched the notice, trying to find her name.

 _Room 301_

 _Haruno Sakura_

 _Uchiha Sasuke_

 _Room 302_

 _Yamanaka Ino_

 _Nara Shikamaru_

 _Room 303_

 _Hyuga Hinata_

 _Uzumaki Naruto_

 _Room 304_

 _Tenten_

 _Hyuga Neji_

Hinata zeroed in on hers and Naruto's name. "I'm with Naruto-kun…" Hinata murmured and blushed, poking her two index fingers together. She was surprised when Naruto said loudly, "Eh, you are?! I am!? That's great, Hinata-chan! And we're already acquainted! Awesomeeee."

Hinata started. _'Wh-what? He heard me?! No one has ever heard me if I speak real soft before… And he must've heard me call him "Naruto-kun"! No! What should I do?'_ She thought worriedly. _'He didn't really seem to notice, though… Calling me "Hinata-chan", too… It's like his hearing is as keen as a fox's. How cute…'_ She blushed once more when she realised where her thoughts had run.

"Oh, sorry, did I scare you again, Hinata-chan? I was just excited! Sorry!" Naruto apologized genuinely after noticing she was silent.

"N-no! I mean, you didn't, Uzumaki-san…" She reverted back to using his surname. "I was excited as well…"

"Oh, phew!"

"Guys, should we go find our dorm rooms now? I wonder if that Nara Shikamaru is there? Ah, we have the whole day off, don't we? What should we do?" Ino rambled.

"Slow down, piggy. One at a time. Let's start off by finding our rooms first and unpacking before anything else, okay?" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, billboard brow." Ino retorted.

All six of them entered another building, going up to the third floor.

"310… 309… 308… Hmm…" Tenten muttered. "Aha! 304, that's my room! See you guys!"

Tenten knocked on the door to her room as the others walked off. "Hello? Is anyone in there? _Hello_? Please open up."

After a minute, the door opened to reveal a pale boy with equally pale eyes glaring at her. "What do you want?"

"Gee, sorry. Did I interrupt your beauty nap, sir?" She answered sarcastically. "I've been assigned to this room, thank you very much. I'm Tenten."

He glared at her again, not the least bit amused by her insult. "Fine," He opened the door.

Tenten trudged in and claimed the bed nearest to the door, since her roommate had taken the liberty of choosing the one furthest away. At least she was nearer to the bathroom.

"Oh, by the way, are you familiar with a Hyuga Hinata? You have the same last name." Tenten had expected another snappy reply but was surprised instead.

"Hinata-sama? What do you know of her?" Neji frowned.

"Uhh, she's been my good friend for a few years now…" Was it just her or did Neji sound a bit protective?

"I see. Guard her if I'm not around," He ordered.

Tenten glared at him. "What makes you think you can just demand things from me? Please, learn to ask _nicely._ I've been looking out for her for years now. Also, I'm not a dog, okay? _Guard?_ "

"Good."

* * *

Ino knocked on her door. When she got no reply, she started pounding and yelling at it. Finally fed up, she decided to kick the door open and barge in. What she found was a luggage knocked over just behind the door. "What? Whose is this? Probably that Nara… Why on earth is it still here? And where _is_ he?"

Ino scanned the room and spotted a pair of feet from her position. She walked closer to it and just when she was pass the bathroom and turned the corner, she found a teen with spiky hair lying on the bed, knocked out. She panicked. "Oh my god! Is he dead?!" She rushed over to his side, leaving her luggage behind and started shaking the boy.

"Hello? Hello?! Are you okay?!"

After a while, the boy groggily opened his eyes. "Stop it, woman! Leave me to sleep!" He closed his eyes again before they snapped open. "Wait, who are you?"

"Oh. You were just sleeping. Wellllll," Ino dragged out. "I'm Yamanaka Ino, your new roommate!" She beamed. "Let's get along! Come on, get up and unpack your stuff!"

"Who are you, my mother?" Shikamaru complained but sat up anyway. "Troublesome woman."

"I am _not troublesome!_ "Ino exclaimed.

"Ugh, not so loud! I just got up," He stretched and stood up, walking over to grab his luggage. He pulled it near to the bed, before letting go of the handle and dropping back onto the bed.

Ino gapped at him. Was he _serious_?

"HEY!" She started nagging, but realised he was already fast asleep. Ino couldn't believe it. Never had she met such a _lazy person! 'And wait,_ I _want the bed next to the toilet!'_ She realised in horror.

Ino tried pulling him off the bed by the arm but he wouldn't budge. She got onto the other side of the bed, crawling over him since it was up against the wall and pushed. After two tries, she managed to get him off with a loud ' _thump!'_ followed by a yowl.

"Ouch! My head! What is _wrong_ with you?!" Shikamaru shouted, clutching his head.

Ino grinned in triumph. "Well, I wanted this bed and you were in the way," She told him smugly.

"Seriously? Crazy woman. You could've just taken the other bed and let me rest in peace… They're all the same, anyway."

"Oh, I would have gladly done so but I want to sleep close to the toilet! I have my needs, you know."

"And I don't have mine?" Shikamaru muttered.

"You don't need _that_ much sleep! And didn't I tell you to unpack? Hurry up, daylight's waning. I want you to meet a few friends of mine!"

"Troublesome…"

* * *

"Woahh! Nice room, I guess. It doesn't look very big, though. Don't you think so too, Hinata-chan?" Naruto looked around the room.

"Y-yes…" Hinata agreed. "The school must have wanted to save on expenditure, but it didn't look so budget at first sight? Ah, it is only a school, after all; not a hotel."

"I thought so too! True. So which bed do you want? I'll let you choose!" Naruto grinned brightly at her.

Hinata almost had to squint through the bright light. "Umm… A-any one is fine with me, Uzumaki-san!"

"Oh, okay then, I'll take the one next to the bathroom, if you don't mind," He told her. "And why are you calling me "Uzumaki-san"? Didn't you call me "Naruto-kun" earlier?"

"A-Ah, s-sorry… Naruto-kun. I thought it'd be uncomfortable for you. We don't know each other that well…" She murmured.

"It's okay if it's you Hinata-chan! You don't mind me calling you that, right? You seem like a very sweet girl!"

Hinata blushed a deep shade of red. "I-I'm fine with it…"

"Great!" He cheered.

* * *

"I'm taking this one." Sakura plopped down onto the bed next to the toilet.

Sasuke didn't reply. He glared at her and moved to the other bed, already beginning to unpack his things.

' _Jeez, what's his problem? I didn't even do anything wrong! Way to be moody…This is going to be a tough year, that's for sure. No thanks to him, too.'_

They didn't converse much, both diligently unpacking their items. No words were needed to set the boundaries; it was as if they already knew where the furthest they could put their belongings was.

Sasuke discreetly observed her out of the corner of his eye. _'She's… Different. She isn't going gaga over me. Heck, she isn't even_ trying _to talk to me. Maybe she isn't so bad. I might be wrong, though.'_ He thought. _'I shouldn't jinx myself.'_

"Are you done? If so, we should probably get going. There's nothing else here for us, anyway." She may have declared war on him earlier on but she had enough manners to be civil when needed. Too much fighting was unnecessary.

Sasuke gave a short nod.

They exited the room, side by side.

* * *

Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto met in the middle of the hallway. "Oh, hey, guys. Done settling down already?" Sakura greeted.

"Yes. You as well, Sakura-chan?" Hinata replied.

"Yup! Where are Ino and Tenten?"

"Hmm… Knowing Neji-nii-san… If they've met, Tenten _might_ or might not have a hard time with him," Hinata giggled nervously.

"Eh? Why do you say that, Hinata-chan? Is there something wrong with Tenten?" Naruto inquired.

"N-no, it's not Tenten, Naruto-kun… Neji-nii-san has always been, umm, cold and hard to get along with. So…" At this, Sasuke actually looked slightly intrigued. Sakura gave him a pointed glance and he glared at her.

Just then, they heard a yell coming from Room 304, before the door burst open and out came Tenten, dragging one Hyuga Neji by his wrist.

"My, are we late? Sorry! This douche named Hyuga Neji was being burdensome," Tenten explained, earning her a death glare from said douche. "Ha! Your glares don't scare _me_! Besides, I'm telling the truth. Right, Hinata?"

"U-umm…" Hinata stuttered, unsure of how she should reply while Sakura guffawed.

"You hear that, Uchiha? _I'm_ not scared of _your_ _petty_ glares, either!" Sakura laughed while smirking at Sasuke.

"Tch. Annoying." Glare. _'I_ did _jinx myself,'_ He thought. _'Fantastic.'_

"As I've said," She grinned. "And the pot calling the kettle black!"

While they argued, though it seemed mostly one-sided on Sakura's side, Hinata greeted Neji. "Nii-san, it's nice to see you again. I did not know you were attending this school as well."

"Likewise, Hinata-sama. Let us work hard together." Neji smiled, causing Tenten to gap like a fish. He turned to her, an annoyed look plastered on his face. He raised an eyebrow that silently said, " _What?_ "

"Y-you _smiled_!"

Neji twitched. He would not grace that insufferable girl with a comment of his own.

"Yamanaka Ino is here!" Ino announced to the world. Thankfully, only the group of them were present at the moment.

While Ino skipped over merrily to them, they could see another boy coming out of the same room, his hair styled - not on purpose - to look like the spikes of a pineapple. He was slouching, hands shoved into his pockets, walking _extremely_ slowly.

"Shikamaru! Hurry it _up_! We don't have all day, you know," Ino tutted.

"Coming…"

"Oh, yeah! This is my roommate, Nara Shikamaru. Say _hi_ , Shikamaru!"

Shikmaru's face looked constipated. "Once again, are you my mother? Oh god, in disguise?" He looked at her in horror. Nonetheless, he nodded to the group, looking positively bored out of his mind. "Yo." He received two nods, a shy "hello", and other more lively greetings.

"Well, now that we're all here, it's almost lunchtime. We should probably start getting us some food before all the other students flood down," Sakura suggested. After an unanimous agreement, they headed down to the dining hall.

"Wow, what a queue…" Ino observed in awe. "Good choice, us."

The girls sat together on one side of the bench and the boys, on the other. Naruto was quickly gobbling down his food. Sakura, Tenten and Ino looked at him in disgust. Sasuke only rolled his eyes; he was used to such mannerism coming from the blonde haired boy.

"Naruto! Slow down! You'll choke," Sakura warned.

"Yes Ma'am," Naruto answered through a mouthful of food.

"And for goodness sake, _don't talk with your mouth full_!" Tenten scolded.

"Uhh, umm, sorry!" Naruto apologized after swallowing his food.

Watching the spectacle going on in front of him, Neji sighed. Why was he with them again? Right, because Hinata-sama was here and he got dragged by the other brunette sitting across from him. _'The Uchiha and Nara seem okay.'_ None of the three were talking. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Neji saw a flash of green zipping towards them. It was so fast that he could hardly make out what it was.

The green blur stopped right beside Sakura, who sat at the edge of the bench, kneeled down and held up its tray of food. "OH GODDES OF BEAUTY! PLEASE ACCEPT MY FOOD AS A TOKEN FOR YOUR HAND IN MARRIAGE!" The blur recited. "I am Rock Lee and you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! What is your name?"

Everyone at the table looked astounded. Even those sitting around them looked shocked at his proclamation. Sakura awkwardly tilted her head away from him, eyes darting back to him every so often. She gave a nervous chuckle. "I… I am Haruno Sakura. Thank you very much for your compliments, but I already have my own food and I _don't think_ I'll be marrying anyone anytime soon… Sorry."

"No…" Lee whispered. "Very well. If that is what you wish, Sakura-san! I, Rock Lee, will earn your love someday!"

"Err…"

"Lee! _Huff._ There you are! _Huff._ How… Are… You _huff_ so fast?" A round boy panted as he ran up to them. "What happened _now?_ " He turned to the group. "I apologize if he caused any of you trouble… My roommate can be quite… Exuberant."

"Choji?" Shikamaru questioned. "This rock is your roommate?"

"Oh, hello, Shikamaru! Fancy meeting you here. Ha, yes, he is."

"You know each other?" Ino asked, looking back and forth between the two. "Your _roommate_ was proposing to dear Sakura-chan over here." She patted the sulking girl on her back lightly.

"We were childhood friends. My name is Akimichi Choji, nice to meet you." He turned his attention back to Lee. "I had no idea you could go to that extent…"

"Pardon me, but Sakura-san was too great to pass up!" Lee declared.

"…If you say so. May we join you guys?" Chouji asked the group.

"Sure, take a seat," Tenten invited. "By the way, which room are you guys staying in?"

"307!" Lee supplied. "And you?"

"Ah. Me and Neji are in 304 - Not very far."

"I'm in 303 with Hinata-chan! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!"

"302 for lazy-bum and me! Oh, I'm Yamanaka Ino."

"Pig, that was supposed to be " _Lazy-bum and I_ ". I'm rooming with Uchiha over here in Room 301." Sakura finished.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Thanks, geek." She ignored Sakura's indignant huff.

"UCHIHA-SAN? WHAT IS YOUR NAME? IT IS AN HONOUR TO MEET MY RIVAL IN LOVE, BUT DO NOT DOUBT THAT _I_ WILL BE THE ONE TO WIN SAKURA-SAN'S HEART!" Lee boomed.

Sasuke actually looked scandalized, as did Sakura.

"What do you mean, rival in love?! There _are_ _no_ rivals, and definitely _no one with a chance_ ," She gave him a pointed glance at the last part.

"Really! That is a relief to hear! Yet, you are staying in the same room. Sakura-san and another boy! _Oh!_ " He moaned, clearing not getting the hint.

Sasuke told him irritably, " _Her?_ I don't understand how anyone could like such an annoyance. I have no need to tell you my name."

"Annoyance?! Sakura-san is no annoyance! You do not understand true beauty!" He declared. "You will not? Anyone, please, tell me!"

"Uchiha Sasuke is his name!" Naruto quipped, grinning sadistically. Sasuke glared death at him. "You, dobe. Watch out."

"Eep!" Naruto squeaked. "Hinata-chan, protect me from this evil witch!"

" _Witch?_ "

"Who do you think you are to ask anything of Hinata-sama?" Neji glared.

"Fight, fight, fight, fight," Ino chanted.

"Guys, stop it," Sakura covered her eyes and hunched over in her seat slightly. "This is embarrassing." When her words fell on death ears, she roared, "ENOUGH!" Everyone turned to look at her. "Eat. Now. Stop wasting time."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru commented. He was already done eating.

"Yes," The others who hadn't, mumbled. They did _not_ want to risk getting admonished again.

* * *

"Finally!" Sakura exclaimed joyfully. "Did you guys have to make such a big fuss?! I swear, so many people were staring…"

They had just finished eating and were now wandering down a random hallway, unsure of what they should do next.

"Oh, just chill, forehead. That ain't necessarily a bad thing."

" _Chill?_ I'll show _you_ chill! I'll chill you _to the bone_!"

"Okay, _okay_. I get it. We won't do it again, right guys?" She turned to look at those who had contributed to the argument. Upon receiving a chorus of "yes", she nodded, satisfied.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What next? It's still early in the afternoon."

"The library?"

"Is that even open?"

"Tour the school!"

"But we'll be doing that lots from now on… Except, it won't be a _tour._ "

"W-well, we might get lost trying to find our classrooms tomorrow, so…"

"Oh yeah! Do you have your time tables with you, guys? Which classes are you in?" Tenten piped up.

All of them took out their schedules. "My homeroom teacher is someone named Might Gai… So Gai-sensei?"

"What? Who names themselves after their _gender_?" Naruto hooted.

"It's spelled G-a-I, fool," Neji glared at him. "I'm with Gai, too."

"As am I!" Lee said.

"Uhh… Who's with a Hatake Kakashi? I am." Sakura received a nod from Sasuke and a cheer from Naruto. "Me!" He yelled.

Ino, Shikamaru, Choji and Hinata were with Kakashi as well. "Aww, I'm stuck with an idiot and a stone-hearted guy…" Tenten whined. "Not fair!"

Hinata smiled sympathetically. "It won't be _that_ bad. Neji-nii-san can actually be quite nice, I'm sure he'll help you with, umm…" She trailed off, looked at Lee and poked her two index fingers together.

"Very consoling… Thanks."

* * *

In the end, the group decided to check out the exterior of the school. There wasn't really much to see, since the school was surrounded by tall hedges, and beyond that, behind the school was a forest; their school _was_ a bit further from the edge of town.

The 10 of them were simply walking along the stone pathway around the school until a glint coming from a particular hedge caught Hinata's eyes. She squinted a bit, wondering if her mind was simply playing tricks on her, when she caught that glint again. She stopped. Tenten, who had been walking behind her, bumped into her. " _Oof!_ What, why'd you stop, Hinata?" The others stopped as well, wondering what was wrong.

"Sorry! I just found something shining from behind that hedge," She pointed to said hedge. "Wasn't there was only a forest behind?"

"It could always be some piece of rubbish," Choji suggested.

"I say we check it out!" Naruto cheered.

"Well, we have plenty of time, anyways. What's one more stop?" Sakura shrugged.

"SPLENDID IDEA, SAKURA-SAN!" Lee pumped his fist into the air. "WE SHOULD NOT WASTE AWAY OUR YOUTH!"

"H-hey, _I_ was the one who suggested it…" Naruto tried arguing weakly. Hinata heard him, and gave him a small smile.

"Let's go!" Ino grinned. She grabbed Shikamaru's arm and sped off, him trailing behind her.

"What are you doing, woman! Let me go!" Ino didn't seem to have heard him. Naruto and Lee followed closely behind, while the others walked at a much calmer pace.

"Geez, no need to rush…" Tenten rolled her eyes.

Ignoring her, Ino turned her attention to Hinata. "Hinata, where exactly did you say it was again? No, wait, I think I see it-" She grabbed and pulled apart the hedge to make a medium-sized hole with much difficulty. "Eureka!" She cheered. "Huh?"

In front of her, there stood tall trees that constituted to the forest. Beyond them, she could see a metal gate. "Whoa, look at that! What do you think it's for?" She pointed to the gate.

"Hmm?" Naruto peeked into the hole. "EH, it looks cool! I wanna go see!" He harshly pulled apart the hedge further so that he could step into it. The others came in as well, and the hedge snapped shut behind them.

"…It feels like we just sneaked out of the school!" Sakura exclaimed quietly.

"It does…" Hinata murmured.

"ONWARDS!" Lee shouted, charging towards the gate.

Shikamaru groaned. "Can we not? It's such a _long walk…_ And I'm tired."

"Shikamaru, you're _always_ tired," Choji laughed. "Besides, it's not _that_ long… It's actually pretty close."

"How dumb," Sasuke decided to comment. "What's the point?" Neji nodded in agreement.

"Oh, don't be such a party-pooper!" Sakura scolded. "Aren't you even the _least_ bit curious to know what's beyond the gate?"

"No."

"Well, go anyway."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"WHY NOT!"

"Might belong to someone."

"But- UGH!" Sakura had enough. She grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him to the gate. "I don't care; you're coming with whether you like it or not!"

"Don't be annoying," Sasuke told her. "And don't touch me," He glared.

"Whatever."

Tenten stared at their retreating backs, before turning to Neji. "Do I need to do that with you too?"

Without a word, Neji stalked forward. Tenten chuckled quietly to herself, following behind. _'Maybe Hinata was right. He might not be so bad after all.'_

The gate was tall, silver and barred. In the middle, was what seemed to be a plate with a keyhole slightly to the right.

"Hmm…" Naruto mused. "I wonder if it's locked." He pushed on it, exerting a bit of force. The gate moved beneath his palm without a single squeak. "Guess not." He pushed open the right side of the gate and stepped in. "Wow," He breathed.

Sakura's eyes glittered. "It's so… Pretty!" She took a step forward.

Beyond the gate, was a garden. To the right, was a clear lake, with a wooden bridge going across it. A few lily pads floated on the water. To the left, stood large umbrellas, opened, and glass tables and chairs beneath it.

"What are you doing here?"

Everyone, _including_ Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru, jumped, shocked at the sudden voice. There lounging below an umbrella behind them towards their left, was a middle-aged woman. She had her blonde hair tied in two low pigtails, a white sleeveless shirt that seemed to only be held together by a blue obi, blue three-quarter jeans and a long green kimono cardigan.

"Who are _you?_ " Naruto asked loudly, pointing at the woman.

 _Bonk!_ Sakura knocked his head. "Dummy! Don't be rude!" She turned to the woman. "I apologize, I'm sure he didn't mean that," She bowed.

"Heh, at least _you_ know your manners, little girl," the woman said. "This is the first time in a long while that I've seen anyone else besides me and…. Someone else come here. How did you find this place?"

"We were walking around the school when something shone and caught Hinata's," Sakura gestured to said girl, "eyes. We decided to see what it was and found a gate. So… Here we are, I guess."

"Hm," the woman hummed. "And you are students of _Konoha Boarding School_?"

"Yes," Sakura affirmed.

"I see. Well, I think it's time for the lot of you to be going back now, don't you think? Remember, _do not_ tell anyone about this place," She smiled evilly. "We will meet again."

"O-okay..." Sakura stuttered. "Erm, shall we get going, then, guys?" She turned to her friends. They gave various versions of agreement.

"We'll be taking our leave," She bowed to the woman, grabbed Sasuke's wrist and stalked off quickly. The rest did the same and followed suit.

"See ya, obaa-chan!" Naruto called out.

"N-naruto-kun!" Hinata whispered harshly.

"Obaa-chan…?" The woman muttered silently, the air shifting harshly around her. "BRAT! LEARN SOME MANNERS! I'M NOT THAT OLD!" She yelled.

Naruto only laughed and waved.

"Hmph," The woman huffed, before allowing a small smile to grow. "Interesting…"

* * *

"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded.

"Huh? What do you mean? I'm… Walking?" Sakura turned to look at him.

Ino snickered. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed?" Sakura gave her a confused look. "Seriously?" She asked incredulously. "You're holding his hand!"

It was then that Sakura noticed the wrist in her grasp. Sasuke yanked it away and glared at her.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't know… Besides, that wasn't his _hand_ ," She argued.

"SAKURA-SAN!" Lee cried indignantly. "Sasuke-kun! How could you?!"

Sasuke turned his glare to him. "I didn't _do_ anything."

"H-he's right, Lee," Sakura laughed nervously. "It's just, the woman _did_ seem a little scary, so I grabbed the nearest person's hand, I guess. Apparently, that person just happened to be Uchiha."

He scoffed. "I told you it might belong to someone."

"She said no one had been there in a while, so that garden doesn't _belong_ to her!" Sakura crossed her arms.

"Hey! We never did find out that old hag's name!" Naruto exclaimed. "Argh, I forgot! Sakura-chan, you must've given me a concussion!"

"See, forehead! I _warned_ you to watch your strength!" Ino scolded.

"I didn't even hit that hard!" Sakura cried. Tenten, Hinata and Choji laughed.

"Wow, I better not make you angry, then," Naruto commented, wide-eyed.

"Wise choice, Naruto," Tenten smirked at Sakura.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"She said we'd see her again," Shikamaru spoke up.

"Oh yeah! I wonder what she meant," Ino wondered. "Do _you_ know, Shikamaru?"

"I have a theory," He shrugged. "But who knows. We should just wait and see."

Neji nodded. "If we see her again, it will be fate."

"…Okay…Then…"

* * *

Sakura sighed as she plopped down onto her bed. Sasuke stalked towards his own bed and Sakura trailed his retreating form with her eyes. It was weird how the bunch of them just seemed to _click_. Most of them were already calling each other on a first name basis and they'd even spent the entire day together.

Naruto was always excited and was loud enough to rival Ino, if not even _louder_. He voiced out his thoughts without much thinking through, but she could see that he was a kind-hearted boy - from the way he saved Hinata, a stranger from falling.

Choji, Shikamaru and Neji all seemed to be quiet people. She only knew that Choji and Shikamaru were childhood friends, maybe even best friends, but Shikamaru's quietness probably came from the fact that he was lazy. Lazy to _talk_. Sakura sweatdropped. _'He and Ino would certainly make a good pair,'_ She thought. _'One lazy and the other, bossy. They complement and make up for the other. Ha, ha, wow.'_ On the other hand, Neji was a lot like Sasuke – Cold glares and little words, if any.

' _Speaking of Sasuke…'_ He still hadn't realised she was staring. _'What's gotten_ him _all moody and anti-girl?'_

* * *

"Shikamaru! You use the bathroom first, okay? I still have some clothes I want to pack."

"Fine," He muttered, eyeing her luggage, filled to the brim with clothes. He was just glad she didn't ask him for help; she _definitely_ looked like she would. With that in mind, he uncharacteristically dashed into the bathroom.

Ino eyed him weirdly. _'What's up with_ him? _'_ She thought. _'Whatever.'_

Time passed quickly as she absent-mindedly packed. Soon enough, she heard the bathroom door open. She turned around. "Done alrea-" She stopped and gapped. The boy standing before her was… She snapped out of that thought quickly as she remembered who the boy was. "That was fast," She continued.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Meh. There wasn't much to do."

He had his hair down, since he had washed it, and it reached his shoulders. A towel hung over his neck. He wore a simple white tee and grey sweatpants hung low on his hips. Ino could _drool._ Yet, she wouldn't.

Ino blushed, stood up quickly and grabbed her nightwear. "My turn." She quickly entered the bathroom, stripped and took out her hair-tie. She stepped into the shower, closing the shower curtain behind her and allowed the water to just rain down on her at first.

The rest of her shower passed quicker than usual, with her head in the clouds, and on her new roommate. She stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a yellow tee and white cotton shorts. She had already blown her hair dry and brushed her teeth.

She stopped in front of her bed and deadpanned. Ino groaned in exasperation and rolled her eyes upwards, palm coming up to meet her forehead with a resonant _smack._

Shikamaru was on her bed, fast asleep, hunched slightly in a foetal position. Ino smiled wearily. _'How cute… Forget it; I'll just take_ his _bed tonight, then.'_ She headed to his bed, jumping onto it, face first. _'Good night, Shikamaru.'_ She thought.

' _May tomorrow be an interesting day… Or a good one.'_

* * *

 **That's the end of chapter 1! How was it? (: A** **ny feedback or** _ **constructive criticism**_ **is welcome! If you want to flame, try to make it as inconspicuous as possible or something, haha.**

 **I know putting them all might be a bit like destroying the plot already but it may come in use later. Too much drama just doesn't work for me, sorry! Also, the next few chapters will surely be more SasuSaku-centric, but there will definitely still be the other pairings.**

 **Also, if you have any ideas at all, feel free to mention them! If I like it or think I may be able to incorporate it, then I may. I am terribly uncreative!**

 **Thank you all for reading! Do leave a review, favourite, or feedback. (: Have a nice day!**


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